Where are the fans?

Sitting in the press tribune tonight, I was quite disappointed with what I saw. I loved the field hockey matches. On pitch one, I got the pleasure of seeing the USA score the equalizer against heavy-favorite Argentina with just over five minutes to play. During the second game, Germany put on a clinic scoring five times and holding Great Britain to just one goal. What I was disappointed with is what I saw in the stands... a very small crowd.

Now I am sure tomorrow's newspaper will claim the consistent rain kept fans from the opening day of field hockey. I guess I will say that was part of the problem, but after talking with my dad who has been watching the Games religiously, he said unfilled seats are also present at beach volleyball and even gymnastics. For the record, gymnastics is not affected by rain. It's not the weather that is keeping people away, it is the ticket price.

Ticket prices for games are relatively reasonable. Rhythmic gymnastics for example sell at face value at around 30 bucks. Beach volleyball tickets are less than 5 and baseball is a whole $7.50. All the tickets are sold out, but why are the venues not filled. This is because scalpers believe the tickets are worth way more than they are. For example last night I received an email from a guy telling me he wanted 10,000 RMB for 2 semifinal baseball tickets. That is roughly $1,500. That is more than I would pay for Super Bowl tickets. So how do we get rid of scalpers that ruin the game and cause poor attendance at Olympics events?

I would like to propose the Lothrop Plan. For those in charge of the Vancouver Games in 2010 and London in 2012, feel free to further contact me about this theory. I will be more than happy to guide you. The plan is a hybrid model of Haymarket Park in Lincoln and the idea of Will Call. Here is how it would work. All tickets would be sold by will call. You could either order on line, in person, or by phone. However you would not be able to pick up the tickets until 72 hours before the event. This would cut down on the people buying the tickets and immediately reselling them. They would not have them in hand until 3 days before the event.

The second part of my plan is that if the tickets have not been claimed 3 hours before the game, they are resold at face value to the general public. Think of it this way, you could charge the face value to both the initial ticket purchaser and the guy who is actually going to the game. An empty seat and a full seat cost about the same to heat and cool. Also a full seat usually buys popcorn, soda, candy, pretzels, t-shirts, hats and programs. Also full venues make it at least look as if the locals care about the sport.

This plan is still in it's infancy stage as there are many ways it could be improved. But think about it, all the things we would like to see would happen. Those fanatics who want to go to the games could buy them weeks in advance and pick them up 3 days before the competition. Also casual fans could pick up a cheap ticket. Vendors could sell more Snickers bars. And most importantly in my mind, we could eliminate scalpers.

Cheers,
-Matt

The Mess with Wess

Today was another day of creating pre-Olympic stories for ONS. I had the pleasure to watch one of the greatest hockey players in the world, Jamie Dwyer play. After the few short moments I watched him, here is my analysis. He is fast, aggressive and can really smack that ball. After the friendly match between Australia and Germany, I was assigned to talk with German defender Timo Wess. This sounded like a pretty easy task. I looked through several photos online and focused on him on the field, as Germany was not wearing numbers. I swear I could have drawn what he looked like.

After the match I headed for the mixed zone to get my interview. There he was, just about to walk into the locker room when I said, “Hey Timo, can I get a few words.” He turned around and laughed saying “I’m not Timo, I’m Benny. Timo is over there.” Just then I had to laugh inside. Timo has a brother named Benjamin on the team. The entire time I was looking at the wrong guy.

I guess this probably served me right. My entire life I always wondered how people could possibly confuse my twin brother Brian and I. I could pick out 100 things different between us. I bet Timo and Benny can pick out 100 things that are different between them. I know how it feels to be called the wrong name, and often shrug it off and point to my brother. I’m glad Benny reacts the same way.

Which Wess is which?


Benny is on the left, Timo is on the right. It is not as easy as it sounds.

Cheers,
-Matt

Waiting for Dwyer

It has been nearly two weeks since I first stepped foot into the Olympic Green Field Hockey Stadium venue. In that short span of time, I have learned quite a bit about field hockey. Growing up in the Midwest where football is king, I had no experience with the sport whatsoever. But thanks to the knowledge and patience of a Sports Information Specialist Andy and a Olympic News Service Reporter Fidz, I have expanded my sports knowledge and mind.

This past week I have had the opportunity to watch some of the best field hockey players in the entire world. I have had the opportunity to interview coaches, chat with players, meet journalist and stand toe-to-toe with future colleagues. It has been quite a learning experience. I have learned who the best players are, who is favored to win, who has a tradition of winning and who could potentially play the role of spoilers.

I can tell you that Luciana Aymar from Argentina is one of the greatest female athletes of the generation. She plays a sport that gets little attention in North America, but when she laces up those bright pink shoes and grabs a stick, she is something else. I can also tell you that on the men's side, Teun de Nooijer is the best player I have seen in field hockey. I can tell you that fellow Dutchman Guus Vogels is one of the best goal keepers in the world, Australia's Melanie Wells is a great interview and Argentina's coach Gabriel Minadeo speaks Spanglish.

I haven't seen it all... yet. I am still anxious as ever to watch a real game and not just a training game. I am anxious to interview more athletes. I am anxious to see who will win, who will lose, great scores, great saves and totally embrace the sport of field hockey. I cannot lie, I am also anxious to see Australia's Jamie Dwyer play. Most regard him as the greatest hockey player in the world. He scores a lot of goals and has won countless awards and trophies, but there is another reason why I am so eager to watch and interview him. He is the best. According to sources at least, he is better at his job than anybody else is at his. What a thing to strive for.

Hockey Anyone?

Today I continued my training at the Olympic Green Field Hockey Stadium. While it has been the same old same old every day, last Saturday I got the opportunity to actually play hockey on the field. Our Olympic News Service Reporter Fidz and our Sports Information Specialist Andy taught the field hockey crew how to actually play. It's like most sports, watching from the grandstands is much easier than actually playing.